Maria Bello

(Photo Credit: David Pascua)
It’s been almost 18 months since Dolphin and Open Road Films swam on into Wilmywood to begin production on Max Steeland we’ve been like, “Where is this movie?” Yes, we’ve been hearing nothing but crickets! The movie stars Ben Winchell as Max McGrath along with Ana Villafañe, Andy Garcia and Maria Bello. But finally we have our selves a trailer!!! It’s the Spanish trailer, but in English. If you remember, Mattel’s Max Steel franchise has a HUGE following especially in South America. So, I guess that makes sense. Anyone else SUPER pumped?! The new release date is Friday, October 21, 2016.

16 year old Max McGrath is discovering that he’s got a strange electric energy that emanates from him when he’s upset or excited, and it’s starting to grow beyond his control. With his scientist father dead and his mom Molly unwilling to talk about what really happened in the accident that killed him, Max is resigned to trying to fit in to yet another new school–where he finds himself attracted to the quirky, independent-minded Sydney and develops a friendship with an old colleague of his dad’s, Miles Edwards. But the most startling thing that happens to Max is the arrival of a small, crab-like alien named Steel, whose memory may be faulty but who knows one thing for certain: he’s there to protect Max, and he’s been sent by Max’s father.

Under the Dome heads back to the sound stages today, but you can spot them in Burgaw tomorrow.

Now, we have been waiting FOREVER for a release date for Max Steel which stars Ben Winchell as Max McGrath along with Ana Villafane, Andy Garcia and Maria Bello. Well, now I can tell you get ready to enjoy this super hero flick later this summer on Friday, August 28th Woo hoo!

The Longest Ride is doing decent at the box office. So far, they’ve earned $23,511,000 plus $6 million more internationally.

And did you spot what they wrote at the end of the credits? Thanks for posting this Ben Yemba! They were here during our big battle with our legislators and they felt our pain considering how much they loved filming here. I know director George Tillman, Jr. definitely knew! He really paid attention to what was going on around town and across the state. So, on behalf on the NC Film Crew, thank you Longest Ride Team!

And we gotta give major kudos to local actor Anthony Reynolds! He always gets in on the coolest movies! This time, you can spot him in the latest trailer for Fantastic 4! Congrats buddy!

Also HUGE DOUBLE congratulations going out to Jonathan Landau and the gang! First, their short film Pushing Buttons won Best Dark Comedy Short at Worldfest Houston this weekend! It stars Devin McGee and Meredith Jackson to name a couple.

Secondly, 14 years ago Landau made a 35mm feature film called The Last Summer. He says that over 1,000 local people worked on this film (including Britt Robertson, Muse Watson, Nick Searcy, and David Andrews). It is now available via Vimeo On Demand! It’s only $1.99 to check it out!

Sophia drives her blue, rag-top wagon through the packed lot as the sun barrels down. Suddenly, Max races across her path on his bike. She slams the brakes and watches him go flying through the bushes. Sophia jumps out of her vehicle and runs to…

THE SIDE OF PARKING LOT

Sophia sees Max on the ground next to a tree. She leans over him, her necklace dangling, sparkling in the sunlight.

MAX’S POV –

Someone leans over him. His vision blurred.

SOPHIA

“Oh my God! Oh my God! Are you okay?”

Still a daze, his eyes begin to focus. It’s a girl. A beautiful girl.

END SCENE

Ana Villafane is that beautiful girl starring as Sophia in the upcoming super-hero flick Max Steel. But this isn’t your typical super-hero movie. Our hero Max McGrath played by Ben Winchell isn’t coming from a dark past. He doesn’t right wrongs based on vengeance. He is unknowingly a superhero from birth and he is out to save his family rather than the world. Max Steel, has been an animated television series for some time now, however this will be the first time we see it come to life in live action on the big screen.

The story revolves around 16 year old Max McGrath who discovers he has a strange electric energy that radiates from him whenever his emotions get the best of him and now it’s getting out of hand. He can’t control them. This doesn’t help as he is trying to fit in at another new school–where he finds himself attracted to the beautiful and unconventional Sofia (Ana Villafane) and develops a friendship with an old colleague of his dad’s, Dr. Miles Edwards (Andy Garcia). Perhaps Miles can tell him what his mother Molly (Maria Bello) is unwilling to talk about– what really happened in the accident that killed his dad. As if that is not enough to have on a teenager’s shoulders, Max is most startled by the arrival of a small, crab-like alien named Steel, whose memory may be faulty but who knows one thing for certain: he’s there to protect Max, and he’s been sent by Max’s father.

Producer Julia Pistor explains what made her choose Max Steel.

“I was drawn to the Max Steel story. I love super hero stories and I was really compelled by the story of Max and his father. He never knew his father and our film tells the origin of Max and how he connects with him. Not only does he (Max) learns that his father is an alien, but he really connects with him like a father and son. I’m drawn to stories that are family unification stories. I think that’s really important.”

That she is. Julia has a long history with family movies like The Spiderwick Chronicles, Charlotte’s Web and Lemony Snicket to name a few.

Producer Bill Dowd of Dolphin Films is also a fan of super hero movies and he wanted to make sure when Max’s story was told, it would be a film that the whole family would enjoy.

“I’ve been long time friends with Bill, so I know that he’s looking to make films that are a little more character driven and inspirational.” Julia says. “We loved the idea of making a movie that was a little bit outside of the system and a little more homegrown.”

Max Steel also isn’t the typical $100+ million action flick, either. There will be more of an organic feel to this one which is quite refreshing. And smart. They have already done quite well gaining pre-sales all over Europe and Southeast Asia, so it seems it should eliminate any financial fear and could possibly pave the way for a Max Steel 2 and who knows perhaps a Max Steel 3. That’s my own personal take on it however, nothing in confirmed along those lines. The feature is penned by super-hero writer Christopher Yost (Thor: The Dark World), directed by Stewart Hendler (H+) and the cast is top-notch. The two leads, Ben Winchell and Ana Villafane are both extremely talented up and coming young actors. Even though they just met earlier this year, they already have an amazing connection with each other and it shows on screen.

“Ben and I actually met for the first time at the chemistry read. I guess we had chemistry, because here we are!” laughs Ana Villafane. “He is great. There is no wall that needed to break down. He is authentic and hasn’t been tainted. There was no facade or pretending to be ‘cool.’ He was himself from the beginning and we hit it off right away.”

Ben Winchell mirrors those exact thoughts about Ana. She too is the real deal. The couple will be playing along side two of the most talented and prolific actors we know today. Andy Garcia being one of them .

“Andy is perfect,” says Julia, “because he can play the warmest, most handsome father figure character, but as we all know from Ocean’s Eleven and The Godfather, he can play a cold and ruthless character. There are not a lot of actors with that range. We (the creative team) are huge Andy Garcia fans. We are excited to get him.”

Maria Bello is another. Her range is just as exceptional. From comedy to drama, she can do whatever comes her way. This time, she plays off her motherly instincts as Max’s mom, Molly.

The film is being shot in Wilmington, NC which is a perfect fit as a location for their needs for such an organic, homegrown feature.

“We were planning production and all producers are drawn to places with tax incentives. We were going on a scout. We were going to go all over: Africa, Canada, Louisiana and Wilmington. Wilmington is the first place we went to on our scout. We got off the plane and went to the (Ideal) cement plant, we looked at houses for Max and we called LA and said, ‘We’re shooting it here.’ We didn’t evaluate any other place. Of course the tax incentives are fantastic! It’s so gorgeous here. The weather and the people are great. The locations are so diverse. The crew is so strong and experienced and so kind. It was just done.”

The Ideal Cement plant (also called the Roanoke Cement plant) has been transformed into Max Steel Headquarters and they expect a 17 day shoot for this location. If you follow director Stewart Hendler (@stewarthendler) on Twitter, you have already seen what an incredible job the construction crew and set designers have done. The plant closed many years ago, but it continues to be a favorite and prime location for many feature films and television shows including Iron Man 3, Revolution, Under the Dome, as well as The Crow and even Super Mario Bros.

“My husband and I call each other nicknames from Mario Bros., Julia laughs. “When I heard that Mario Bros was shot there, I thought, ‘This is fantastic!’ I tease him and call him Goomba. I feel like we should come here for our anniversary!”

Other locations include Hoggard High School, Downtown Wilmington and some private houses in Wilmington as well.

Ana is definitely glad they chose Wilmington as the location and she actually fell in love with the town and she didn’t even know it. “I’ve seen Natalie Martinez’s (Under The Dome/ Secrets and Lies) photos on social media and she is paddle boarding and going to great little cafe’s. I figured she was sharing vacation photos from Puerto Rico or something. I get here and realize she was in Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach!” There is so much space and it’s all lush and green. There is a very laid back feeling, but between the beach and the downtown nightlife it’s not boring. I’m really excited to explore.”

Expect to see Mattel’s first super hero flick in theaters in January, 2015.

Happy Tuesday loves! This morning we finally posted the good news! God, I’ve been sitting on this news for like 2 weeks! Maria Bello tweeted on set, so no more secrets!

Mattel and Dolphin has brought in one of my favorite actresses! Maria Bello! This talented lady has over 35 feature film credits under her belt and she is now adding Max Steel to her roster! Maria will be playing Max’s mom, Molly.

Maria arrived in Wilmywood and got right to work last week.

Yesterday it was a mad house at not only the Fox Upfronts but at the Fox Fan Fronts! Twitter was on fandom fire especially when our Sleepy Hollow cast arrived. Then, something else caught the eyes of many fans. Is that a ring on Tom Mison’s left hand? Yes, indeed it is! According to multiple sources, Tom Mison married his love Charlotte Coy in a small and private ceremony about a month ago. So, congrats to the gorgeous couple!

Today, we have the Upfronts for ABC at 4pm EST. Got any favorite shows on that network? Secrets and Lies begins production in July from what I’ve been hearing, they will be a mid-season pick-up.

Under the Dome is shooting all over the place today including Winnabow as well as all of their sound stages. Max Steel is back at a private location on Middlesound Loop Road.

Big Congrats to our local comic book shop, Memory Lane Comics! They were just nominated for an Eisner Award – the 2014 Will Eisner “Spirit of Comics” Retailer Award. The awards will be given out during this year’s San Diego Comic Con in July.

Perry’s Emporium has the exclusive NC Film Pendants in stock now! They also ship everywhere, so call them to order one or stop by and pick one up! Price: $39.95 Located at 2520 Independence Blvd in Wilmington 910-392-6721 They are open Tues – Sat: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. I am wearing mine proudly!

There is so much more to do before the short session begins on Wednesday, May 14th as they decide the NC Film Incentive’s fate. However, don’t let the name fool you. This could take 4 weeks or more for them to come to a decision! Yuck! Please send a message or phone call to our governor Pat McCrory as well as Sharon Decker and ask them to please HELP us! Here’s their deets:

LOOKING FOR THOSE FILM=JOBS STICKERS? Sunrise Broadcasting has a few. Feel free to stop by and grab one while they last at 25 N. Kerr Ave. (near the intersection of Market and Kerr across from the new Walgreens). Offices are open 8:30am-5:30pm M-F.

WE GOT MORE! Last time, they flew out of here in 24 hours! Thanks to Jed and the gang over at Image Monster, you can now pick up these fab stickers at the Sunrise Broadcasting, too! Film=Jobs folks! Spread the word!

That just about does it for me; I will have more Wilmywood updates for you tomorrow morning (unless something breaks) and every weekday morning we do “What’s Up in Wilmywood” at 7:30am & 8:30am LIVE on Sunny 104.5. And on Thursdays during Cape Fear CW‘s Primetime News at 10! Got Scoop? Email me: sheila_brothers@yahoo.com. Or message me on Wilmywood’s FB or on Twitter. You can also just post your comments below! Until then, that’s a wrap!!

Mattel and Dolphin has brought in one of my favorite actresses! Maria Bello! This talented lady has over 35 feature film credits under her belt and she is now adding Max Steel to her roster! Maria will be playing Max’s mom, Molly.

Maria arrived in Wilmywood and got right to work last week. She is best known for her roles as “Sally” in the Adam Sandler films Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2 and the sassy bar owner, “Lil” in Coyote Ugly.

She also played “Lucy Robbins” on the series Touch. Welcome to Wilmywood, Maria!

16 year old Max McGrath is discovering that he’s got a strange electric energy that emanates from him when he’s upset or excited, and it’s starting to grow beyond his control. With his scientist father dead and his mom Molly unwilling to talk about what really happened in the accident that killed him, Max is resigned to trying to fit in to yet another new school–where he finds himself attracted to the quirky, independent-minded Sydney and develops a friendship with an old colleague of his dad’s, Miles Edwards. But the most startling thing that happens to Max is the arrival of a small, crab-like alien named Steel, whose memory may be faulty but who knows one thing for certain: he’s there to protect Max, and he’s been sent by Max’s father.